1 The fire consumeth the sacrifice. 2 The glory of the Lord filleth the Temple. 12 He heareth his prayer, 17 and promised to exalt him and his throne.

And when Solomon had made an end of praying, [a]fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices: and the glory of the Lord filled the house,

So that the Priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.

And when all the children of Israel saw the fire, and the glory of the Lord come down upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the earth upon the pavement, and worshipped and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good, because his mercy lasteth forever.

(A)Then the King and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of two and twenty thousand bullocks, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

And the Priests waited on their offices, and the Levites with the instruments of music of the Lord, which king David had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy lasteth forever: when David praised God [b]by them, the Priests also blew trumpets over against them: and all they of Israel stood by.

Moreover, Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he had prepared burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar which Solomon had made, was not able to receive the burnt offering, and the meat offering, and the fat.

And Solomon made [c]a feast at that time of seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great Congregation, from the entering in of Hamath, unto the river of Egypt.

And in the eight day they [d]made a solemn assembly: for they had made the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.

10 And the [e]three and twentieth day of the seventh month, he sent the people away into their tents, joyous and with glad heart, because of the goodness that the Lord had done for David and for Solomon, and for Israel his people.

11 (B)So Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the Lord: and he prospered in his house.

12 ¶ And the Lord (C)appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place for myself to be an house of sacrifice.

13 If I shut the heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people,

14 If my people, among whom my Name is called upon, do humble themselves, and pray and seek my presence, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear in heaven and be merciful to their sin, and will [f]heal their land:

15 Then mine eyes shall be open and mine ears attent unto the prayer made in this place.

16 For I have now chosen and sanctified this house, that my Name may be there forever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

17 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, to do according unto all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments,

18 Then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I made the covenant with David thy father, saying, (D)Thou shalt not want a man to be ruler in Israel.

19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them,

20 Then will I pluck them up out of my land, which I have given them, and this house which I have [g]sanctified for my Name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a common talk among all people.

21 And this house which is most high, shall be an astonishment to everyone that passeth by it, so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus to this land, and to this house?

22 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold on other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them, therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 7:1 Hereby God declared that he was pleased with Solomon’s prayer.
  2. 2 Chronicles 7:6 Hebrew, by their hands.
  3. 2 Chronicles 7:8 The feast of the Tabernacles which was kept in the seventh month.
  4. 2 Chronicles 7:9 They assembled to hear the word of God, after that they had remained seven days in the booths or Tabernacles.
  5. 2 Chronicles 7:10 They had leave to depart the two and twentieth day, 1 Kings 8:66, but they went not away till the next day.
  6. 2 Chronicles 7:14 I will cause the pestilence to cease and destroy the beasts that hurt the fruits of the earth, and send rain in due season.
  7. 2 Chronicles 7:20 Which thing declareth that God had more respect to their salvation, than to the advancement of his own glory: and whereas men abuse those things which God hath appointed to set forth his praise, he doth withdraw his graces thence.

The Dedication of the Temple(A)

When Solomon finished praying, fire(B) came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled(C) the temple.(D) The priests could not enter(E) the temple of the Lord because the glory(F) of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(G)

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. The priests took their positions, as did the Levites(H) with the Lord’s musical instruments,(I) which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat(J) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.

So Solomon observed the festival(K) at that time for seven days, and all Israel(L) with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath(M) to the Wadi of Egypt.(N) On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated(O) the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival(P) for seven days more. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.

The Lord Appears to Solomon(Q)

11 When Solomon had finished(R) the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared(S) to him at night and said:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen(T) this place for myself(U) as a temple for sacrifices.

13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain,(V) or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name,(W) will humble(X) themselves and pray and seek my face(Y) and turn(Z) from their wicked ways, then I will hear(AA) from heaven, and I will forgive(AB) their sin and will heal(AC) their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.(AD) 16 I have chosen(AE) and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully(AF) as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees(AG) and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted(AH) with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor(AI) to rule over Israel.’(AJ)

19 “But if you[a] turn away(AK) and forsake(AL) the decrees and commands I have given you[b] and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot(AM) Israel from my land,(AN) which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule(AO) among all peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All[c] who pass by will be appalled(AP) and say,(AQ) ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them(AR)—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  3. 2 Chronicles 7:21 See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now so imposing, all